


Turn Back Time

by arianapeterson19



Series: Avengers Shorts [41]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Dungeon, Feasts, Fighting, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Howard is a dick, Hurt Tony Stark, Insecure Tony, M/M, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Prisoner Tony Stark, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Steve Rogers, Protectiveness, Thunderstorms
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-17
Updated: 2016-07-05
Packaged: 2018-05-27 08:52:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6277840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arianapeterson19/pseuds/arianapeterson19
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony was going to murder Reed Richards and if that had the world labeling him as a villain it would be worth it.</p><p>OR</p><p>The one where Tony, Steve, and Bucky get sent into a mess and it wasn't Tony's fault.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In Every Reality

"I'm going to spay Richards," announced Tony, glaring at his father, who should have been dead.

"I thought you spayed female dogs," whispered Steve, eying the crowd uneasily.

"Exactly," snapped Tony.

"No," said Howard, his voice carrying from his throne, a press smile on his face only there was a lack of reporters and an abundance of brightly dressed people looking ready to shit themselves if Howard told them to. "I think I'll just throw you in the dungeon. The other two I shall train into knights. They'll make fine soldiers, don't you think?"

The crowd cheered and Tony rolled his eyes. That is, until two men came forward and separated him from Steve and Bucky and he realized that Howard meant to throw him in the dungeon.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Yelled Tony, glaring at Howard. "Are you seriously this much of a dick in every fucking dimension? Is it some constant that no matter what you will always like Steve more?"

Then he was out of the hall and being dragged - physically dragged because the steps were uneven and the guards were fast - into a deeper and darker pit of hell then he probably deserved. Then he was in the dark and the thick door was shut, plunging the genius into semidarkness. 

The cell was damp and smelled like death and piss and a side of mold. There was a small window with thick rusty bars and no glass. The floor was solid stone and in one corner it looked like there used to be a thin mattress but all that was left was a lump of grey. All in all, it was probably the worst lodgings Tony had ever found himself in and it was all thanks to Reed Richards.

Richards built a portal because the idiot had some attraction to portals and space and it seemed once he built them he liked to let them loose. And somehow Tony, Steve, and Bucky got sucked into it, spinning them through time, space and dimensions and landing them in a universe where Howard Stark was a king of some medieval style court. And it was just the proof Tony needed to show that in every dimension, in every universe, in every version of reality possible, Howard always favored Steve. Which was why Tony was in the dungeon and Steve was upstairs with the locals and Bucky, enjoying a feast and being welcomed like a long lost son.

"This fucking sucks," sighed Tony, leaning against the door as rain started to dribble through the window.

\- Turn Back Time -

In the hall, Steve and Bucky sat in places of not quite honor but still ranking above lower courtiers. Roast pig and ducks rested on the table with vegetables and other sides the soldiers couldn't name. It was delicious and they felt guilty for eating when Tony was stuck in some dank room probably being denied food, but they needed to stay on this Howards good side and needed their strength if they were going to be prepared to escape at any time.

"So tell me, where are you from?" asked a man sitting on Steve's left. 

"New York," said Steve.

"Is that far?"

"Yes," said Steve. "So what happens to people in the dungeon?"

Bucky rolled his eyes at Steve's attempt at a casual transition. 

"Oh, your friend is as good as dead," said the man, biting into a duck leg. "Even if he survives the night, which is rare, he won't make it a week. If he's still alive in four days then King Howard will put him in the ring to fight."

"Oh," said Steve for lack of anything more to say.

"You two will probably be put in charge of preparing him for the fight," continued the man, not picking up on the growing discomfort and anger from his new companions. "It's one of the jobs for the new soldiers. You prepare the prisoners for battle. And the newest member always get the sure losers. As you get better at strategy and instruct victory you will be given better fighters."

Bucky nodded and stood, stretching his long limbs.

"I'm going for a walk," announced Bucky, which Steve took to mean he was going to inspect their surroundings and hopefully locate Tony.

"Be back by the third bell," warned their chatty table mate.

Bucky nodded and slipped put of the smokey hall and into the darkened, deserted halls.


	2. Freezing

The night was miserable. Bucky and Steve were put in the soldiers quarters, which were comfortable enough though the beds were on the short side, but by morning Tony had developed a nasty cough. The entire night he had spent shivering near the door in the vain hope that it would be warmer closer to the hall. It wasn't and by the time a guard came for him to drag him outside, Tony was more than ready to leave.

"Here's your charge," said the gaurd, roughly tossing Tony on the ground at Steve and Bucky's feet. "He survived the night - most die of cold. So now you have to train him up for the ring. I'd wish you luck, but this one looks mostly done in already."

They waited until the guard walked away before helping Tony to his feet. Breifly Tony leaned into their warmth, soaking up as much as he could before pushing away and standing on his own.

"We're going to get out of this," said Steve confidently.

"Sure we are," said Tony. "But until then do you think we can come up with a system for not letting me freeze to death every night?"

Tony ended it with a round of coughing as though to make a point.

"I'll talk to Howard, convince him that we need you to stay with us for training purposes," said Steve.

"Fucking Howard," grumbled Tony. "I can't believe I'm not even his son to disappoint him and he still likes you more."

"I know, I'm sorry baby," sighed Steve. "But I'm going to take advantage and try to get you out of the dungeon. Bucky, make it look like you're training him while I find Howard."

Bucky grumbled but complied as Steve walked away.

"Alright, fists up," commanded Bucky.

Tony half heartedly put up his fists in a defensive position. Bucky smiled at him and threw a few easy jabs to get Tony to block. Tony blocked them but quickly dissolved into a coughing fit.

"Easy, darlin'," said Bucky, rubbing Tony's back. "You're okay."

"Shit," gasped Tony, trembling from the force and lack of oxygen. "This sucks."

"I know," agreed Bucky. "I'm going to kill Richards."

Tony sat on the ground. Bucky joined him and started leading Tony through some stretches, making it appear to the rest of the yard that they were training in some way. The stretches helped cover their conversation as well.

"I'm so hungry," complained Tony. "Turns out Howard isn't interested in feeding those in the dungeon. He's also not interested in keeping the dungeon dwellers alive and warm. Honestly, I thought Howard was a dick in my dimension but at least he never had a dungeon."

"I'll see what I can do about sneaking you food," said Bucky.

"Blanket first," said Tony. "You know how much I hate admitting defeat but I won't survive another night in there without something to help me out."

"We'll figure it out," said Bucky.

That night, despite Steve's use of charm and groveling, Tony was tossed back into his dungeon before dinner. Tony immediately curled up in a corner to conserve body heat. It turned out to be a worthless move because by the next morning a fever had set in on top of the bone rattling coughing and Tony barely had the presence of mind to try and walk when the guard once again dragged him from his cell and threw him at Steve and Bucky's feet.

"Fuck," growled Bucky, hoisting Tony into a sitting position and checking his boyfriend over for injuries. "Steve, we have got to get out of here. He's not going to make it if we keep this up."

Steve looked around. They were on the edge of the practice field, next to the forest. The forest, Steve had discovered from another soldier, was vast and supposedly the most dangerous part of the kingdom, which was why it was at the back of the castle; no one survived a night in there. Only a twelve foot wall stood between the three of them and a forest of doom, but one look at Tony and the soldiers both knew they had to take that chance.

"Alrighty, up you get, kotenok," said Bucky, pulling Tony to his feet where the genius swayed unsteadily.

"You go first with Tony," said Steve, watching the yard to confirm that no one was looking at them. No one was, they were all too busy with their own training to take note of the newcomers in the corner. "I'll follow. We'll take our chances with the forest. Maybe by then Richards and Bruce will have figured out that damn portal."

Bucky nodded, took a few steps back, hoisted Tony against his chest with his flesh arm, and ran at the wall. A few bounding steps and Bucky grabbed the top of the wall with his metal hand, using the extra strength to haul himself and Tony the rest of the way over. Steve landed next to them half a minute later and together the three of them took off running into the forest.

Tony tripped and fumbled over roots, trying to keep up with the superhuman speed his boyfriends set, only just managing because they both had a firm grip on his upper arms. Eventually the trees grew too closely together for the three of them to continue running side by side and they paused for a break. Tony all but collapsed in a fit of coughing and feverish shivering.

"We need to keep moving," said Steve apologetically. "Tony, can you walk?"

Tony nodded bleary and stood swaying before his knees buckled and sent him sprawling towards the ground. He never reached it, however, as Bucky caught him around the waist and pulled him close 

"I'll carry him for now," said Bucky simply. "You focus on finding us a nice place to set up camp, preferably a few miles deeper where those castle idiots won't follow."

Steve nodded and set off, Bucky following with Tony curled against his chest, seeking out the warmth and comfort Bucky had to offer. They walked for almost seven miles before Steve found a cave large enough to house all three and a fire comfortably. Bucky set Tony down and went about starting a fire while Steve searched for food with his stolen knife and short sword.

By the time the sun had set, Steve had managed to spear several squirrels and Bucky had a nice fire going and had made a large bed of loam for them to sleep on. Tony huddled between the two of them as close to the fire as they would let him go, feeling as though he would never warm up properly again.

"I hate camping," grumbled Tony, causing his boyfriends to laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I need to make a Tony/Bucky/Steve series just for them since I've written enough of them to count.
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


	3. Every Dimension

It didn't rain but the night was cold. Steve built a fire in the mouth of the cave to ward off the cold and predators and that helped but Tony was still a shivering mess. Bucky had Tony in his lap, the genuis was wearing the soldiers long shirt. Both of the larger men kept throwing worried glances at their billionaire.

"You have to eat something," said Steve. "At least try the rabbit."

"No," said Tony. "Not hungry."

"I know, baby, but you're sick and your body needs fuel to fight it off," reasoned Steve. "Just a few bites."

"Think of it this way," said Bucky. "You're eating rabbit that Steve poached from the forest your father in this dimension banned people from hunting in. So technically, it's a way to tell Howard to shove it."

Tony glared at Bucky for a moment before his expression softened and he took the offered meat from Steve. The rabbit was bland but warm and after a few bites Tony did feel remarkably less like throwing up. 

"How are we going to get out of here?" asked Tony when he had finished as much of the rabbit as he could stomach - which was much less than his boyfriends wanted him to eat but more than they had expected the genius to manage. "Because mankind spent centuries perfecting inside and I for one am not on board with living through that process."

"Bruce will get the portal up and running," said Steve confidently. "And Bucky still has that locator in his metal arm so once they do get it going we'll know and can follow the signal home."

"That works a lot better when we have a phone with a map to follow," said Tony, pausing to cough. "That thing wasn't made to lead anyone home, that was a last resort option."

"Darlin', this is a last resort sorta time," said Bucky with a smirk. "I know it's going to be a bitch to deal with but I'll take it over being stuck in the damn dimension for much longer."

Tony coughed in response, the force wracking his frame again. Bucky curled around him even more, trying to stablize the smaller man's body with his own so Tony wouldn't cause himself more damage. It helped but by the time the coughing stopped Tony was weak and panting, trying in vain to get enough oxygen into his body. 

Somewhere in the forest a creature howled and others of its kind soon answered. Tony was not a coward by any stretch of the imagination (or in any dimension if he had any say in it) but he was also not an "outdoor" person, so the sound sent him pressing just a bit closer to Bucky. Tactfully, Bucky refrained from mentioning it, though he did tighten his hold protectively. Steve, it seemed, wasn't faring much better. Bucky remembered before the war, Steve had never gone camping, rarely ventured outside of New York because of his volatile health. It was no wonder the super soldier was also set on edge by the strange sounds of the woods at night. Bucky had only his memories as the Winter Soldier to help him cope and knowing he had killed more than one wolf on a mission made him feel a bit more capable of protecting his boyfriends. 

Eventually, Tony fell asleep, warm for the first time in days even if he was miserble. 

"We have to find a way to contact Bruce," said Steve once Tony was soundly asleep. "Tony's not doing too great. I'm really worried about him."

"Maybe he'll be better after a proper nights sleep," said Bucky. "If he feels better tomorrow we can keep moving, maybe find a village and scrounge up anything Tony needs to build a way home."

"He'll need electricity, won't he?" said Steve, sounding skeptical. "I mean, Tony's good but even he can't work with nothing. This is interdimension stuff we're talking about and we're practically cave people."

"It's Tony. He built the arc reactor out of scraps in a cave, I'm pretty sure if you tell him it's impossible you'll increase our chances of getting out if only because you just told Tony he couldn't do something. He's a drama queen, he loves the challenge."

Steve snorted but knew Bucky was right. If anyone had the ability, brains, ingenuity, and sheer force of will to escape an entirely new dimension, then it was Tony Stark.

Hopefully the genius would be feeling better tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact about moving - you tend to not have the internet for a while.
> 
> Still no Internet yet guys but that just means when I finally get Internet I will have a bunch of chapters to a bunch of stories to upload. (This is my 'type on phone when bored in commute' story)
> 
> Always,  
> Ari

**Author's Note:**

> So much for taking a vaction. Turns out that just because I don't have a computer doesn't mean I won't write.
> 
> I will get back to requests and all the stories have have started when I am back with my computer.
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


End file.
